Ireland: Survey of Recent Developments in National Cyber Security Sphere

In this article, we consider recent policy and strategy level developments in the cyber security sphere in Ireland.

The World Economic Forum Global Risks Report for 2015 ranks technological risks, most notably cyber-attacks, among the most likely and impactful global risks. Cyber-crime and cyber-attacks, both nationally and internationally, have heightened awareness of these vulnerabilities and elevated cyber security to the national agenda. Along with other western economies, Ireland has taken the first organised national steps on the path to at least some degree of coherent national cyber security requirements.

Ireland has a developed infrastructure that is dependent on information and communication technologies (ICT). Critical national infrastructure such as energy, water, social welfare, telecommunications, banking and healthcare are dependent on ICT, not just to operate effectively, but to operate at all. Apart from indigenous companies nine of the top ten global software companies, all of the top ten global ICT companies and the top ten “born on the Internet” companies have major operations here. If a significant cyber-attack aimed at Irish operations should harm these companies…

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